Pakistan brings back stranded citizens in Syria through a special charter flight
A special charter flight carrying
318 Pakistanis stranded in Syria safely landed in Islamabad at 2:00 AM today.
The flight, which departed from Beirut, Lebanon, was part of a coordinated
effort to facilitate the return of citizens caught in the aftermath of a major
conflict in Syria.
The returning passengers were
welcomed at Islamabad International Airport by Minister for Planning,
Development, and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, along with
representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, and the National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA).
Speaking to the returnees, Ahsan
Iqbal shared that the Lebanese government granted visas to the stranded
Pakistanis at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He expressed deep
gratitude to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati for his cooperation in
ensuring the safe evacuation.
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The NDMA arranged buses to transport
the passengers to their respective hometowns. Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally oversaw the entire evacuation process,
holding daily meetings to monitor progress and ensuring all necessary resources
were utilized.
“Wherever Pakistanis face adversity,
the government stands with them,” Ahsan Iqbal reassured the passengers,
reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting its citizens abroad.
The evacuation was prompted by the
upheaval in Syria, where a swift offensive by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
group and allied forces recently ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,
ending his decades-long rule.
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Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s
ambassador to Lebanon bid farewell to the evacuees at Beirut airport. A press
release confirmed the flight’s scheduled arrival in Islamabad on December 13.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif played
a pivotal role in the operation, holding discussions with Lebanese Prime
Minister Mikati to secure support for the evacuation. Mikati assured full
cooperation, enabling Lebanon to serve as a critical transit point for the
return of the stranded Pakistanis.
Source: Aaj TV